Monday, September 20, 2010

The Little Things Really Do Count

For a Monday today has been a good day. I had my 8:30 am class and after an adventure of finding the room, because I guess each semester classes change locations 2 or 3 times, we had a pretty good class. After class I had lunch with a couple friends who are also study abroad students and our conversation and my trip home made me think of some things. Studying abroad is difficult and each day can be a roller coaster of emotions. It is extremely reassuring to talk to other people in the same situation and hear that those moments of being uncomfortable, etc are totally common. Coming back from school I went to go buy my bus pass and some stamps and I realized how much the little things really do count in to making a good day great. I was walking back to the house after doing my little shopping and a woman smiled at me, I was just so happy. Over here smiling is not as common as in the Mid West, the culture is more inclusive so smiling isn't just something you do all the time when you see someone, but when it happens you just get so happy. Other little things that really make you feel good are things like finding a new way to get somewhere, making it through a conversation in french without someone asking where you are from, and overall just suceeding in a task that at home might be like breathing but abroad can be challenging. Now an update on my weekend: The Saturday trip to Antwerp was really nice, we saw a lot of interesting places and my presentation seemed to go well so that was nice. After we got back Kelsey and I went for dinner down by Grand Place and got pizza and fries for pretty cheap which was very nice. I came back to the metro and since Eddie and I were planning on walking back to the house together from his party he was at I ended up going over there for the dessert, yummy! We came back and I called it a night pretty quickly. Sunday was fine, a day of doing hw so it was as fun as I suppose hw can be lol. This week is another pretty relaxed one, although Friday we go to Amsterdam!!! I am very excited for this trip and to go outside of Belgium for the first time.